Information respecting Botanical Travellers, 119 the upper part of the Hunter, near the Liverpool range ; but this being Saturday I follow on Monday, and from the slow travelling shall soon overtake the party. I am sure you would be delighted to spend a week among the Menuras, as I hope to do, it being my in-tention to encamp near their haunts, in order if possible to obtain their eggs and learn something of their habits and nidification. I paid a short visit to Liverpool Range last winter, and obtained seven or eight specimens ; of two I made skeletons, and placed three entire bodies in pickle for dissection. In its oeconomy and structure the Menura bears little or no relation to the Gallinacese ; its sternum is quite plain with a small ridge ; it is a cheerful bird, singing and mocking all the birds of the forest ; and of all creatures I have en-countered it is the most shy and wary, and difficult to procure, inha-biting precipitous rocky gullies covered with climbing plants and dense vegetation. I find the natives very useful in assisting, being scarcely ever without a tribe or portion of a tribe with me when in their neighbourhood ; they are nearly all excellent and dead shots, and are excessively fond of shooting. I frequently give into their hands my best guns, and never find them in the slightest degree disposed to take advantage : I am of course not speaking of those far in the interior, where I shall require to be strictly on the alert." Mr. Gould also writes that he had sent his principal assistant to Swan River, and has already received from him a large and valuable collection. He expresses an intention of endeavouring to visit New Zealand before returning to Britain, and it will be satisfactory to all his friends and well-wishers to know that at the date of the above letter he and Mrs. Gould continued to enjoy uninterrupted good health. Extracts from a Journal of the Mission which visited Bootan, in 1837-38, under Captain'^. Boileau Pemberton. ByW. Grif-fith, Esq., Madras Medical Establishment. [Continued from vol. iv. p. 429.] Feb. \st. Our march commenced by descending, gradually at first and then very rapidly, to the Dumree Nuddee ; crossing this, which is of small size, at the junction of another torrent, we wound along the face of the mountain forming the right wall of the ravine, ascend-ing very gradually at the same time. The country throughout was of a most barren appearance, the vegetation consisting of coarse grasses, stunted shrubs, and an occasional long-leaved pine. Feb, oth. On leaving this place we descended by a precipitous
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